Washing-machine



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

S. SAFFORD PUTNAM, OF DORGHESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

WASHING-MACHINE.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent N0. 118,718, dated July 11, 1865.

To all lwhom it may concern:

Bc it known that I, S. SAFFORD PUTNAM, of Dorchester, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing -Machines, of which the following is a full, clear,

and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specication, in which Figure lis a perspective view of my improved washingmachine. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through the same.

My invention has for its object to produce a simple and effective machine for washing clothes which may be operated with ease and can be furnished ata small cost, and which shall combine the advantages of a water-fall in combination with a rubbing-board; and my invention consists ina receptacle containing a number of slats attached to its sides and so ar.- ranged as to l'orm buckets for elevating a portion of the water, and also serve as a rubbingsurface for the clothes when carried around as the box revolves, the buckets discharging their contents in streams and causing the water to be dashed down with great force upon and through the clothes, whereby they are cleansed in a thorough and expeditious manner and with very little exertion to the operator.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand and use my invention, l will proceed to describe the manner in which I have carried it out.

In the said drawings, A is a square wooden box, from the centers of the e-nds of which project journals a, which rest in bearings b at the top of the standards B, proceeding vertically up from the frame-work C.`

D is a crank, to which power is applied to revolve the box A. The top ot' this box is provided with an opening, which is closed by the cover E,which'is securely held in place by means ofthe buttons c.

d are slats placed at a short distance from and parallel to each other, and are inclined to the sides of the box, (see Fig. 2,) so as to constitute buckets e for elevating a portion of the l water, and also form a rubbing-surface, over which the clothes pass as the box is revolved. These slats are secured in place by having their ends fitted into holes bored in the ends ofthe box, the bot-tom of which is provided with a hole, through which the impure water passes on removing the plugf. l

Operation: The clothes to be washed, together with the required amount of soap, are placed in the box through the opening in its top, and a suflicient quantity of water being poured therein, and the cover E buttoned in place so as to close the box water-tight, the crank D is slowly turned so as to revolve it about thirty or forty revolutions per minute, the clothes constantly moving over and rubbing against the edges and a part of the surface of the slats d, while a portion ofthe water is taken up by the buckets e and dashed down forcibly upon and through the clothes. After the box has been revolved for a shorttime-say from six to eight minutesthe clothes are removed from the box and another supply placed therein, and the operation is repeated until the water vbecomes impure, when it is drawn oi' by removing the plugf.

In the use of the above-described machine the necessity of soaking the clothes is avoided, and they are not required to be rubbed at all by hand; and the box being closed tightly the heat of the water is retainedfor a longer time than in the ordinary process of washing.

I have spoken of the receptacle A as being of a rectangular form, but it is evident that it may be constructed of a circular or polygonal form without departing from the spirit of my invention; and it is also evident that the slats d may be inclined at any desired angle to the sides ot' the box, and that they may be curved instead of straight, if preferred.

What l claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

A receptacle having a series of buckets so arranged andinclined upon its sides as that the series on one side shall. incline upward, while the series on the opposite side shall incline downward, and the series on the bottom incline from rightto left, while the series on the top shall inclino from left to right, so as to form buckets for dipping up and throwing the water over the clothes as well as to turn and rubthem, as herein set forth.

S. SAFFORD PUTNAM;

Witnesses: Y

N. W. S'rEARNs, P. E. TEscHEMacr-IER. 

